Main Artery Torn: Woman Died Because Clinics Refused Her

Because no specialized hospital could continue treating a woman from Mühlviertel, the woman died according to a report by the "Kronen Zeitung" on Sunday. The 55-year-old initially sought help at the hospital in Rohrbach due to chest pain. The fact that there were rejections from other clinics has now also led to political reactions in Upper Austria. Meanwhile, the Salzburg state clinics vehemently denied the allegations.

Rejections from Clinics: 55-Year-Old Woman from Mühlviertel Died

According to the "Krone" report, it was determined on the evening of October 14 in Rohrbach that the woman's main artery was torn. There was thus an acute danger to life. Although the doctors immediately ordered a transfer to an appropriate hospital, admission to the Kepler University Hospital in Linz was refused due to capacity reasons.

There were also rejections from the religious hospitals in the state capital (Barmherzige Brüder, Elisabethinen), from the Wels-Grieskirchen Clinic, the university hospitals in Salzburg and St. Pölten, as well as from the Passau Clinic. According to the "Krone", the 55-year-old died in the late evening hours.

Salzburg State Clinics: Immediate Acceptance Promised

The Salzburg state clinics sharply rejected the allegations late Sunday afternoon. In a statement to ORF, the state clinics emphasized that they had even explicitly promised to accept the patient. However, the 55-year-old was already in such a poor condition that she could no longer be transported to Salzburg, it was stated on "salzburg.orf.at".

"While the patient was being prepared for transport, the doctors in Rohrbach tried to stabilize this condition. About 45 minutes after the offered acceptance, the university hospital was informed that the patient had died despite intensive medical measures," it was emphasized. The state clinics explicitly stated that they had immediately offered support.

Extensive Clarification Demanded

The Deputy Governor responsible for health, Christine Haberlander (ÖVP), stated according to ORF Upper Austria, that it is "completely incomprehensible to her that neither in the state nor across state borders was rapid assistance possible." She has instructed the health holding to clarify the events and emphasizes that a comprehensive analysis of the processes should be conducted. All involved organizations have the responsibility to learn from this case and to examine how improvements in the care of patients can be achieved, said Haberlander.

"Tragedy Must Be a Wake-Up Call"

Peter Binder, Third President of the Upper Austrian State Parliament and SPÖ health spokesperson, reacted "shocked" on Sunday. It is "hardly conceivable that something like this is even possible in our hospital landscape." Complete clarification is "the top priority of the hour." There are increasing massive indications "that we are heading towards a total system failure if we do not act quickly!" Binder stated.

"That in a modern health system a person dies because no intensive care bed is available should simply not happen," emphasized Linz FPÖ City Councilor Michael Raml. The incident shows that the Upper Austrian hospital system has reached its limits - organizationally, personnel-wise, and structurally. "This tragedy must be a wake-up call. We need to relieve the hospitals, pool competencies, and finally utilize digitalization," said Raml in a statement.

Member of Parliament Ralph Schallmeiner, health spokesperson for the Greens, identified "emergency signals of an overloaded, fragmented system" in a statement. The states and the Ministry of Health must finally act. "Above all, the federal states must stop constantly blocking or postponing important reforms of our healthcare system," said the representative.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.